- Three Big Island farms run bookable tea tours in 2026: Tea Hawaii & Company in Volcano Village, Mauna Kea Tea above Honoka’a, and Ancient Leaf Tea on the Onomea Scenic Drive north of Hilo.
- Every tour is by advance reservation only. Tea Hawaii asks for about one week’s notice, and Mauna Kea Tea runs a single 10:30 a.m. slot on four days a week.
- Prices run from $25 per person (a group of four at Tea Hawaii) to $89 per person (the two-hour tasting at Ancient Leaf Tea).
- All three farms sit on the wet windward side, so pack a rain shell and closed shoes. The CTAHR research station in Volcano records about 120 inches of rain a year.
- One day can cover two farms: Ancient Leaf Tea in the morning and Tea Hawaii near the national park in the afternoon, or Mauna Kea Tea combined with the Hamakua Coast.
Most visitors to Hawai’i Island come for lava, beaches and Kona coffee, and never learn that the island also grows Camellia sinensis, the same tea plant cultivated in Darjeeling, Uji and Alishan. Hawai’i grows more tea than any other US state, and nearly all of it comes from small farms on the Big Island. A handful of those farms open their gates to visitors, usually with the owner leading the walk and pouring the tea.
This guide covers the Hawaii tea farm tours you can actually book: what each one costs, how long it lasts, when it runs, and how to fit it around a drive to Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park or along the Hamakua Coast. Prices and schedules were checked in October 2026; confirm details when you book.
Big Island Tea Farm Tours at a Glance
The three farms running public tours, compared by price, length and location:
| Farm | Area | Tour length | Price (2026) | When it runs | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tea Hawaii & Company | Volcano Village, near the Hawai’i Volcanoes NP entrance | About 1 hour | $80 for one guest; $40 pp for two; $30 pp for three; $25 pp for four or more; ages 5 and under free (plus about 3.49% tax and fees) | By appointment; book about 1 week ahead | Pairing with a park day; rainforest setting |
| Mauna Kea Tea | ‘Ahualoa, upslope of Honoka’a on the Hamakua Coast | About 2.5 hours | $70 ages 13+; $35 ages 6 to 12 | Mon, Wed, Fri and Sat at 10:30 a.m. | A slow, ceremony-style green tea experience |
| Ancient Leaf Tea | Onomea Scenic Drive, Papaikou, about 7 miles north of Hilo | 1 hour (walk) or 2 hours (tasting) | Walk $49 adults, $24 ages 9 and under; tasting tour $89 ages 10+ | Walk on Tue and Sat at 11:30 a.m.; tasting by arrangement | Families, and a farmstand you can visit without a tour |
Tea Hawaii prices come from the farm’s own tour page. Mauna Kea Tea’s schedule and prices come from Hawaii.com’s culinary itinerary, and Ancient Leaf Tea’s from the Love Big Island farm-tour guide, which says it verified prices in June 2026. Small farms change slots with the harvest and the owners’ schedules, so treat the table as a planning baseline and confirm when you book.
Why Tea Grows on the Big Island
Tea is not new to Hawai’i. A 2011 market feasibility study from the University of Hawai’i’s College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR) records that Camellia sinensis was introduced in 1887 and grown commercially from 1892 by the Hawaiian Coffee and Tea Co. It never made money as a commodity crop. Trials in the 1960s and again in the 1980s, on the Big Island, Maui, Kaua’i and O’ahu, reached the same conclusion: Hawai’i could not compete with Assam or Kenya on volume.
The modern industry took a different path. In the late 1990s, researchers from CTAHR’s Mealani station and the USDA began testing tea as a specialty crop. Ke Ola Magazine reports that test plots went in at Mealani, Waiakea and Volcano in 1999, starting with 20 plants of 16 varieties. Growers formed the Hawai’i Tea Society in 2003. The CTAHR study counted 19 tea farmers in the state in 2011, 17 of them on the Big Island. It also found Hawai’i-grown loose-leaf tea selling online for $132 to $574 per pound, which explains why farms favor small-batch green, oolong and black tea over bulk production.
The research stations show why the windward side works. CTAHR’s Volcano station sits at 4,000 feet and receives about 120 inches of rain a year. Mealani, near Waimea, sits at 2,800 feet with about 65 inches. Cool, wet, volcanic uplands like these suit a plant that grows best in mist. They also explain why every tour on this list comes with mud.
Tea Hawaii & Company, Volcano Village
Tea Hawaii & Company has been growing tea in Volcano since the early years of the modern Hawaii industry. Ke Ola Magazine’s 2011 survey of island growers lists it as the Volcano farm of Eva Lee and Chiu Leong. The farm is in Volcano Village, a few minutes from the entrance to Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park. That makes it the easiest tour to fit into a trip that already includes Kilauea.
What the tour includes
The tour lasts about an hour. You walk through tea plants grown inside native rainforest rather than in the clipped hedgerows of a commercial estate, and the visit ends with a tea tasting. Love Big Island notes the ground is often muddy and recommends waterproof footwear. The exact address is shared when you book, a common practice for farms that are also family homes.
Prices and booking
- One guest: $80. Two guests: $40 each. Three guests: $30 each. Four or more: $25 each.
- Children 5 and under are free.
- Tax and transaction fees are added, which the farm says have generally been about 3.49%.
- Reserve about one week ahead. Cancellations at least 24 hours before the tour receive a full refund, minus tax.
- Contact: 808-967-7637, or the booking form on the farm’s official tour page.
The sliding scale rewards groups: a party of four pays $100 in total, a solo traveler $80.
Mauna Kea Tea, ‘Ahualoa and Honoka’a
Mauna Kea Tea is a family farm founded by Taka and Kimberly Ino in ‘Ahualoa, in the uplands above Honoka’a on the Hamakua Coast. Ke Ola Magazine reports that the Inos bought the property in 2005. The farm’s own website says it held USDA organic certification until 2019 and has since left the program. HawaiiGuide notes that the farm grows green, oolong and black tea on the slopes of Mauna Kea, and that its tea pages list awards from international competitions, including the Global Tea Championship.
What the tour includes
This is the longest and most contemplative tour on the island. Hawaii.com describes a visit of about 2.5 hours, usually for up to five guests, built around a guided walk through the fields and a tea ceremony. Love Big Island describes it as a Senchado-style Japanese green tea ceremony served with light snacks. Hawaii.com says the tour is not recommended for children because the ceremony depends on stillness, and Love Big Island says children 5 and under are not suitable. Tea and teaware are sold after the tour.
Prices, schedule and booking
- $70 for ages 13 and up; $35 for ages 6 to 12. Love Big Island lists an extra $50 fee for group bookings.
- Runs Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, year-round, at 10:30 a.m.
- By appointment only; book online through the farm’s booking link or by phone at (808) 775-1171.
- Address: 46-3870 Old Mamalahoa Highway, Honoka’a, HI 96727.
Two practical warnings come from visitor guides. There is no cell service or wifi at the farm, so download offline maps first. Hawaii.com adds that Google Maps is more accurate than Apple Maps for this drive. The fields are gravel, uneven and sometimes steep. Because the only slot starts at 10:30 a.m., visitors staying in Kona should leave early. The Hamakua side is a long drive from the Kohala resorts.
Ancient Leaf Tea, Onomea Scenic Drive
Ancient Leaf Tea is a family farm on the Onomea Bay peninsula in Papaikou, on the 4-mile Onomea Scenic Drive about 7 miles north of Hilo. Its website describes handcrafted teas and botanicals from the Papaikou rainforest, grown with regenerative and organic methods. Its farmstand sells tea, matcha, gifts and cold drinks. It is the most flexible stop for travelers who are not sure they want a full tour.
Two tour options
- One-hour walking tour: $49 for ages 10 and up, $24 for ages 9 and under. Runs Tuesdays and Saturdays at 11:30 a.m. A guide covers the farm’s fruit, flowers and tea cultivation, and each guest receives a tea sachet.
- Two-hour tea tasting and farm tour: $89 per person, ages 10 and up. Led by the farm owner, with several teas, multiple steeps and seasonal food pairings.
Both tours need an advance reservation. You meet and park at the farmstand. The farmstand is open for purchases without a booking. The farm’s phone number, 808-498-3949, appears on its official website, which also links to the current tour calendar.
The Onomea Scenic Drive is a narrow, winding road through rainforest with one-lane bridges. Drive slowly and allow extra time to reach the 11:30 a.m. start.
Other Hawaii Tea Stops Worth Knowing
Several other tea names appear in older articles. Check them before you plan a stop.
- Big Island Tea (Mountain View): Love Big Island reports that this farm no longer runs tours. Its tea is still sold online.
- Volcano Winery: Near the park, the winery says it has its own tea garden and pours a 1 oz Infusion Tea Wine at the end of its Kilauea Ki tea presentation. The winery is open daily from 12:00 to 5:30 p.m., with tastings until 5:00 p.m. The classic six-pour tasting costs $20. It is not a farm tour, but it is an easy add-on on a Volcano afternoon.
- Volcano Farmers Market: HawaiiGuide notes that several Volcano growers sell directly or at this Sunday-morning market at the Cooper Center. It is an efficient way to taste teas from farms that do not take visitors.
Sample Itineraries
East side in one day: Onomea and Volcano
Book the Ancient Leaf Tea walk for a Tuesday or Saturday at 11:30 a.m. Afterward, drive south through Hilo to Volcano Village, roughly an hour away, for an afternoon Tea Hawaii tour arranged in advance. Finish with a late tasting at Volcano Winery or an evening walk in the national park. A private vehicle entry to Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park costs $30 and is valid for seven days. The $55 Hawai’i Tri-Park Annual Pass also covers Haleakala and Pu’uhonua o Honaunau.
Hamakua Coast morning
Mauna Kea Tea’s 10:30 a.m. ceremony fills the late morning. Afterward, have lunch in Honoka’a town and continue along the Hamakua Coast. If you are based in Hilo, the farm is roughly an hour’s drive north. From Kona or the Kohala Coast, plan on a longer drive and leave with a buffer. Without cell service at the farm, you cannot call ahead if you are running late.
Practical Tips for Visiting Hawaii Tea Farms
- Book first, then plan the drive. None of these farms takes walk-in tour guests, and Jeff Setter’s tea guide notes that Mauna Kea Tea requires a reservation even to browse its shop.
- Dress for rain. Every farm is on the windward side. Pack a rain shell, closed waterproof shoes and a dry layer for the car.
- Expect owner-led tours. These are family farms. Arrive on time, follow the host’s lead in fields and homes, and ask before photographing people.
- Budget for tea. Hawai’i-grown tea is a premium product. The CTAHR study found loose-leaf prices of $132 to $574 per pound online in 2011, so expect small tins at specialty prices.
- Ask what is in the cup. Small farms make small batches, so the teas poured on the day vary. Ask when you book whether green, oolong or black tea will be on the table.
If you have toured big estates in India or Sri Lanka, adjust your expectations: these are small family gardens, not factories. The payoff is access to the people who grow and process the tea.
Related Guides
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- How to Book an Authentic Tea Factory Tour
- How to Plan Your First Tea Tour
- Green Tea Guide
- The Best Tea Houses in San Francisco
- Best Time to Visit Tea Plantations
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you tour a tea farm in Hawaii?
Yes, three Big Island farms run bookable tours in 2026: Tea Hawaii & Company in Volcano Village, Mauna Kea Tea above Honoka’a and Ancient Leaf Tea near Hilo. All require advance reservations, and most tours include a guided walk through the tea plants followed by a tasting led by the owners or their staff.
How much does a Hawaii tea farm tour cost?
A Hawaii tea farm tour costs $25 to $89 per adult in 2026. Tea Hawaii charges $80 for one guest down to $25 each for four or more, Mauna Kea Tea charges $70 for ages 13 and up, and Ancient Leaf Tea charges $49 for its walk or $89 for a two-hour tasting.
Which Hawaii tea farm is closest to Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park?
Tea Hawaii & Company is the closest, in Volcano Village a few minutes from the park entrance. Its one-hour rainforest walk and tasting fits easily before or after a park visit. Book about one week ahead; the exact address is shared when your reservation is confirmed.
Do I need to book Hawaii tea tours in advance?
Yes, every Big Island tea tour is by reservation only. Tea Hawaii recommends booking about a week ahead, and Mauna Kea Tea runs one 10:30 a.m. slot on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Ancient Leaf Tea’s farmstand is the only farm stop you can visit without a booking, and only to shop.
Are Hawaii tea farm tours suitable for children?
Ancient Leaf Tea is the most family-friendly, with a $24 child rate for ages 9 and under on its one-hour walk. Tea Hawaii lets children 5 and under join free. Mauna Kea Tea’s 2.5-hour ceremony is not recommended for young children, and visitor guides say it is unsuitable for ages 5 and under.